Take a Leap of Faith
by emilylovesouat
Summary: Emma Swan is an English teacher whose world is turned upside-down when she meets the handsome musician Killian Jones. Modern CS AU. "I didn't need your help." "You sure about that? It seemed like you needed to be saved from that drunk." "The only one who saves me is me."
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Surprise Meghan! I'm your CS Secret Survivor! It was really nice talking to you and fangirling with you about Captain Swan and Olicity. I hope you like your present!**

* * *

Ugh.

Emma does not like weddings. They're just boring. She could have been at home or at the office doing something productive, but no. Instead, she's here. Standing in a crowded room full of people she doesn't know. Well, except for the bride, groom, and other bridesmaid. But other than that, Emma was alone.

Ugh.

Emma takes a sip of her wine and looks around the extravagantly decorated ballroom. She has to admit, Mary Margaret knows how to plan a wedding. And she would never bail out from her best friend's wedding. She and Mary Margaret have known each other since they were in third grade. When Mary Margaret found out that her new best friend had been living with seven other kids in a foster home, she somehow convinced her parents to take Emma under their wing. Ever since, the two girls have been like sisters. They were always together, even when Mary Margaret met the love of her life, David, in their freshman year of high school. It did get awkward when Emma sometimes ended up being the third wheel, but luckily David was the kind of a guy who wanted to include Emma in almost every conversation, date, and party. The couple was basically inseparable for nine years, so Emma wasn't completely surprised when Mary Margaret came running to her announcing that David had proposed.

She looks around the room, searching the newlyweds, only to find unfamiliar faces. She sighs into her wine glass, her eyes continuing to wander until she locks eyes with Ruby, who was flirting with one of the guests on the dance floor. Emma rolls her eyes when her second closest friend waves for her to come over. Emma met Ruby in freshman year, when she served as the former cheerleader's tutor for American Literature. Emma originally didn't think the two would get along, considering Emma was an introverted book nerd whereas Ruby was a social butterfly. But alas, within two weeks, Emma was helping Ruby pass her American Lit exams and Ruby was giving Emma fashion advice. Once Emma introduced Ruby to Mary Margaret, the three of them almost always spent their lunches and after school times together.

Emma watches as Ruby lets out an annoyed huff, excuses herself from her new boy toy, and stomps over to her from the dance floor. "So are you just going to stand here all night?"

"I don't see why not."

"Emma, why don't you try meeting someone? There are a ton of hot guys here, I'm sure you can find someone."

"Oh, like you and your new boy toy?"

"He is not my boy toy," snaps Ruby, giving her friend a glare, "his name is Victor and he's actually very sweet."

"Whatever you say."

"Now you need to go and find someone. Not every guy is like Walsh."

Emma rolls her eyes. "I'm fine where I am."

Ruby throws up her arms in frustration and heads back to the dance floor where Victor is waiting. Emma turns around and places her empty wine glass on the counter and waits for someone to walk by with the tray of beverages.

"Need a drink?"

Emma spins around to find a man smirking at her, offering a glass of champagne. She raises an eyebrow at him before turning her attention back to the crowd. "I don't take drinks from strangers."

"Alright," the man simply replies, "That's understandable. I'm Neal, by the way. What's your name?"

"Why should I tell you?"

"Why are you so suspicious? Can't a man try to woo a girl?"

"Well, you suck at wooing."

"That's because you haven't let me."

Emma turns back to Neal with an exasperated expression, wanting to punch the smile off his face. "Why are you even here? Mary Margaret and David have never mentioned you."

"That's because I just came with a friend. Tamara works with the bride."

"Oh."

"You still haven't told me your name," Neal says, leaning in a little too close for Emma's comfort.

"And I don't plan too."

"That's fine. But let's make a deal. I'll stop bothering you about your name and all that stuff if you leave here with me."

Emma takes a step back, giving Neal her best death glare. "No."

"Oh come on," he fills the gap between them and gives her a devious grin, "I promise you I won't let you down in bed."

"I'm not interested."

"Aw, don't be like that. Take a leap of faith," Neal brushes his thumb along her cheek, only getting a not so gentle shove from Emma in return. "Feisty, aren't ya? Well, I like that in a woman-"

"The lass said no," an unknown voice says from behind her. A tall man in a black tux steps out in front of her, standing face to face with Neal. "I suggest you leave." He stays there until Neal skulks off before turning around, making Emma's breath hitch in her throat, his stunning eyes meeting hers. She can't find a word to describe how blue they are because - _god how can eyes be that blue_? He has dark black hair and Emma has to refrain from the urge to run her fingers through it. "Sorry about him," he says, the corner of his lips quirking up slightly, and she is taken aback by his Irish accent, one that makes her want to melt into a puddle.

Emma shakes herself out of her daydream and presses her lips together to form a thin line. "I didn't need your help."

"You sure about that? It seemed like you needed to be saved from that drunk."

"The only one who saves me is me."

The man nods, looking out at all the guests before locking eyes with her again. "I see." The two stand there facing each other in silence, stealing quick glances at each other before looking back down at their feet. "Where are my manners. The name's Killian. Killian Jones." He sticks out his hand toward her with a small grin.

"Emma Swan." She takes his hand and her mouth drops slightly agape when he brings her hand to his lips and gently kisses her knuckles. When Killian releases her, she quickly averts her gaze to her shoes and she can still feel her cheeks burning.

"I don't mean to pry, but who was that man?"

"Neal? Oh, I don't know him. He came with a guest. Um, Tamara, I think that's her name."

"Oh. _Her_."

Emma raises an eyebrow at the handsome man with a smirk. "Do I sense animosity? Was she an ex-girlfriend or something?"

"Gods no. But that's a story for a different time, lass."

She nods, wanting to know more about this Tamara character from the stranger, but she decides to keep her mouth shut.

"Well, that Neal seemed to find you quite intriguing. Maybe a little too much."

"Yea, and I could've handled it myself.'  
"A simple thank you would suffice."

Emma rolls her eyes. "Thank you."

"Anytime. To be honest, I can't blaming him for taking an interest in you," he quickly scans her body and smirks, "you cut quite the figure in that dress."

She feels her heart beat exponentially faster when his smirk breaks into a grin as he gently tucks a loose strand of hair behind her ear. She tries to keep herself from blushing, but she knows her cheeks are failing her.

"Well, Emma, I have to go. Talk to you later," Killian says with a wink and walks off into the crowd as Emma watches him leave, trying not to notice how good dress pants look on him.

"Who was that?"

Emma slightly jumps and spins around. "Jesus, Ruby, you scared me!"

"Who was he?" she asks again, wiggling her eyebrows at her friend.

"He was just a guy. He helped me get rid of some other annoying guy that was hitting on me."

"Well, he's hot."

"Ruby!"

"What? He is! Why don't you give him a try? He looks like a gentleman."

Before Emma can give a snarky reply, the sound of a finger tapping against a microphone cuts her off.

"Hello everyone. Thank you all again for coming in celebration of the unity between my friends, David Nolan and his lovely Mary Margaret Blanchard," Killian's accented voice fills the room, making both Emma and Ruby turn to the front, where he, the bride, and the groom are standing. He has a guitar slung across his chest and he absentmindedly fiddles with the stings as he speaks to the crowd.

"You didn't say he has an accent," Ruby whispers in her friend's ear, earning herself a nudge in the ribs.

"I didn't think it was all that important."

"It is my honor," Killian continues, "to sing for the bride and groom's first dance. So without further ado, here's _Can't Help Falling In Love _by Elvis Presley."

_Wise men say only fools rush in_

_But I can't help falling in love with you_

_Shall I stay would it be a sin_

_Cause I can't help falling in love with you_

Emma tries not to, but she can't help but smile as she watches Mary Margaret and David slowly dance to Killian's rich voice and the soothing sound of the guitar. She can sense the smirk that Ruby has on her face, but she decides to ignore that for the time being and let the man's voice fill her ears.

A slap on the shoulder snaps Emma back into reality, only to find her friend standing in front of her with her arms across her chest and a grin spread across her face. She narrows her eyes at the woman. "What?"

"You okay there, Ems?"

"Yea, I'm fine..." Emma's voice dies as she spots Killian making his way toward her.

"Is he still 'just a guy'?" asks Ruby in a hushed tone before she walks off to find Victor, leaving Emma alone.

"Hello again, Swan."

"You sing?" she blurts out, cursing herself for sounding like a teenage girl gushing over a boy-band heartthrob.

"Aye, I do," Killian replies with a smug grin, "surprised?"

She bites her lip and looks down at her feet. "A little."

He takes a small step closer to her, but she doesn't back up. "Well, a pleasant surprise, I hope?" Emma nods, not trusting what she might accidentally say. He smiles at her, cute dimples forming in his cheeks, and she can feel the tips of her mouth quirking up in response. "Can I take you to dinner?" he asks shyly, "perhaps when the excitement from this wedding dies down in a few days?"

Emma's mouth falls open, and she quickly closes it as she tries to figure out what to say. "You want to take me out? Like on a date?"

Killian chuckles. "That's what I was intending, lass."

"But we barely know each other."

"Isn't that how people get to know each other? I believe over food is a great way to do so. So what do you say?"

She stands there, shocked. She can't remember the last time a man asked her out, besides the usual one night stand sort of thing. Hell, she hasn't gone on a real date since Walsh. He pretty much ruined it for her. Ruby, Mary Margaret, and even David have tried to set up dates for her, but she still refused. Emma bites down on her bottom lip, playing back all the memories in her head.

She hears him let out a long sigh and pulls her attention back up to his face. "It's alright," he says softly, "if you don't want to. I understand where you're coming from if you're not ready for any-"

"No," Emma interrupts him, "I want to." Her brain is yelling at her, telling to stop and reminding her what happened the last time she was in a serious relationship, but she drowns it out thinking that, like what Ruby said, he might be different.

Killian's face brightens like a kid who just got a present and he whips out a business card. "When you're free, give me a call." He hands Emma the card, their fingers brushing in the process and sending sparks up her spine. "Until next time, love," he says, giving her a nod before he makes his way through the crowd to find people he knows.

Emma stands there, her hands slightly shaking as she carefully puts the card in her wallet. A smile pulls at her lips as she thinks into the future; she hasn't gone on a date in almost a year and a half, but this one will be different. It'll be with him.

"So you got his number."

"Jesus," Emma mutters as she spins around, "you really need to stop doing that."

"So are you guys going to hang out?"

"Maybe."

Ruby gasps and lets out a squeal before throwing her arms around her blonde friend. "Oh my god! I'm so happy for you! You must go out to dinner with him and when you do, you need to tell me everything. And I mean every. Single. Thing."

Emma resists the urge to roll her eyes at Ruby's excitement, but she can't help but feel the same way.

.

"So," Ruby plops down on the couch next to Mary Margaret. Ruby decided it was a brilliant idea to tell the newlywed about the new, handsome man Emma met at the wedding and the two of them unexpectedly showed up at her apartment. "What are you going to wear?"

"I don't know."

"Have you even called him yet?" asks Mary Margaret, absentmindedly twisting her wedding ring on her finger.

"Yea," Emma quietly says, a small smile playing at the corners of her lips. She quickly wipes it off as she narrows her eyes at her friends. "Shouldn't you two be worrying about more important things?"

"Don't try to change the subject," huffs Ruby, "we can deal with our stuff later."

"Besides, when you have a date, that's a big deal," Mary Margaret says with a grin as she takes Emma's hands into hers.

"Shouldn't you be focused on your honeymoon? That's a pretty big deal to me."

"We're leaving in four days, so I have time to pack before then. So dinner's tonight?"

Emma nods, staring at her phone on the coffee table. "In five hours. At some place called the French Laundry."

"Holy shit!" Ruby exclaims and starts giggling her head off, to Emma's confusion.

"What?"

"Emma, the French Laundry is a really, really nice restaurant. Like, you have to make reservations five years in advance to get a table."

"Well not that long," laughs Mary Margaret, rolling her eyes, "but people usually have to make reservations for the next year, not for the next week."

"You still haven't answered my question, Emma," retorts Ruby, "what are you going to wear?"

"I said I don't know. Probably just jeans and a nice top-"

"No no no." The brunette stands up and grabs her purse. "Killian is taking you to the French Laundry. You are not wearing jeans to the French Laundry. I won't let you. We are going shopping. Now."

"Ruby-"

"No excuses. We are leaving now." Ruby pulls her friend off the couch and heads out the door, with Mary Margaret following close behind.

.

"Ruby, this really isn't necessary."

"Nonsense. You need to look amazing for your date tonight."

"Yea, but I really don't think I need to get a new dress for it."

Ruby turns to her friend with an exasperated look. "Then consider it a gift from Mary Margaret and me." She goes back to searching for dresses, stopping in front of one rack and pulling out a dress. "Try this one."

"Black? Isn't that a little dark for a date?" asks Emma putting the dress up to her body.

Her friend looks at her with her head cocked to the side and nods. "Maybe a bit, but try it on anyway. Oh! This one is gorgeous!" Ruby runs over and throws a navy blue dress at the blonde. "That would go great some silver jewelry."

Emma peeks at the price tags and cringes. There is no way she can let her friends spend that much money on a dress for her. Before she can comment on the insane dress prices, another dress is thrown her way. She pulls it off her head and barks out a laugh. "Really? Gold sparkles?"

Ruby just shrugs at her friend as she searches through more lines of dresses. "It compliments your hair."

"It's so short!"

"Even better."

Before the blonde can respond, Mary Margaret walks over to the two of them with a dress in her hand. "How about this one, Emma?"

Ruby gasps. "That. Is. Perfect." Mary Margaret hands the dress over to Ruby and she puts it up against Emma's body. "Perfect. Wear this with your pair of black pumps and your good to go. Nice choice, Mary Margaret."

Emma takes the dress, checks the price tag, and gasps at the sight. "Ruby! This is way too expensive!"

Her friend scoffs, putting away the other dresses she had taken out. "Everything here is expensive." She takes back the dress and leaves the two to go pay, despite the protests from Emma.

"But that dress is even more than the others."

"Emma," the newlywed says gently, "it's okay. We just want you to look amazing tonight."

She sighs. "What if it doesn't work out?"

"Just give it a try." Mary Margaret gives her a reassuring smile.

Emma nods and takes the bag from Ruby. "Well, let's go then. You said that was the perfect dress, right?"

Ruby squeals and envelops both of her friends in a hug before linking their arms with hers. "You're going to look so hot tonight," she giggles as she and the two girls walk out of the dress shop.

.

Emma gets out of her yellow Volkswagen and begins to make her way toward the restaurant, attempting to keep her balance on the four-inch pumps that she only wears for special occasions. She digs through her purse and takes out her phones to call her date, until she realizes she doesn't have to look any further.

She finds Killian, who looks rather sharp in all black, standing near the entrance of the restaurant. He's wearing a pair of black slacks along with a black fitted dress shirt and she can't help it as her eyes trace over his shoulders and biceps. He has his black jacket slung over his shoulder and is leaning against the brick wall of the restaurant, and Emma has to take a deep breath before she could keep walking.

Emma feels her heart pound faster in her chest as she slowly walks up to him, giving him a small smile once he notices her.

"Hey beautiful," he greets her with a grin, which causes her cheeks to burn.

"Hi."

"You look amazing. Red is definitely your color."

Emma laughs lightly as she looks down at the outfit her friends chose for her: a skintight red dress and black pumps. Simple, but flattering. She quickly scans him again and smirks. "You look great as well."

Killian winks at her and holds out his arm. "Shall we, love?"

Emma smiles, wraps her arm around his, and the two of them walk into the restaurant.

* * *

**I thinking of continuing this because I just love how it's going. And if anyone was wondering, the French Laundry is an actual restaurant in California. It's super nice and has amazing food, but it's insanely expensive lol. **


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

A man leads them to a small dining room on the second floor and to one of many round tables. Killian pulls the chair out for Emma and helps her take her seat because _of course he's a gentleman_. She watches as he sits across from her and she bites her lip, deciding whether she'll let her curiosity get the best of her.

She does.

"How did you get reservations?"

Killian furrows his brow in confusion as he stares at her. "I called in and asked to make a reservation."

Emma rolls her eyes and fights back a smile from his friendly sarcasm. "I know about this place. You know, like how one needs to call months in advance to get a table? How did you do it? It took you a week."

"Let's just say one of the staff members owed me a favor."

She nods and smiles as she's given a menu and studies it in awe. Just the descriptions of some of the plates make her mouth water, "Sabayon" of pearl tapioca with island creek oysters and white sturgeon caviar to name one. "All of these sound amazing. How the hell am I supposed to decide what to eat?"

She hears him chuckle and tears her eyes away from the menu to meet his oh-so blue gaze. "How about you tell me what you want to try and we can sample a bit of each other's dishes?" he asks with a small grin.

Emma smiles and nods and the two of them wait in silence until they order. Once the man leaves, she breaks the silence. "So… you're a full-time musician?"

"Aye. I do what I love and it pays the bills."

"Are you a one-man band or do you work with others?"

"I'm in a band with a couple of my mates from college. There's never a dull moment with those two."

"That sounds fun."

"It really is. What about you? What do you do?"

Emma smirks and shrugs her shoulders. "Why don't you try guessing? Everyone who's tried before has gotten it wrong."

"Alright," Killian leans back in his chair and stares at her for a while with a smirk, making her cheeks burn. "I'll go with a teacher."

Her mouth hangs open. "Holy crap. How… how did you know that? Did Ruby tell you?"

He just shakes his head and smiles. "You're something of an open book, lass."

"Do tell."

"Well, you are very mature, which isn't surprising for a woman your age, but I've meet some that are quite the opposite. You're quite patient, not to mention you know how to deal with bothersome people. One needs to have both of those features to teach children. Or when dealing with parents. Plus, you sometimes correct people's grammar."

"I do not!"

"You did it to me twice when you first called."

She rolls her eyes. "Shut up."

He grins at her and sits forward. "So, what grade?"

"Eighth grade English. They're not too annoying for me. Plus, I get to teach them some great works, like _To Kill Mockingbird_."

"It's been ages since I've read that."

"It's such a great book."

"But...?"

"What?"

"I can feel a 'but' at the end of that sentence."

Emma sighs. He really has this reading her like an open book thing down. "They just finished the book which means I'm going to have to grade papers soon."

"Well, that sounds lovely."

"God, it can be awful. Sometimes, they just don't get the main message! It can be really frustrating. But that's what happens when you have kids that are more focused on graduating middle school than their English class."

Killian laughs and she can't help but smile as she observes the all little details, like how the corners of his eyes crinkle when he smiles or laughs and how he sometimes scratches the back of his ear when there's an awkward pause in their conversation. Her stomach tightens because she knows that that the last time she felt this way, things ended poorly. But as she stares at the dark haired man with gorgeous eyes and a smile that could make any woman melt, she sees a little glimmer of hope in him, and it's that glimmer that calms down her nerves.

Her train of thought is interrupted by food being placed in front of her, and she can't help but gape at the plates. The portions are tiny, but the caviar so beautifully presented she doesn't want to touch it. So she just stares at it.

Emma hears a low chuckle from across the table and she whips her head up.

Killian is looking at her with amusement. "You can eat it, you know."

"I know," she scoffs in response, "it's just so pretty."

"Lass, if you don't eat it, I will."

Emma narrows her eyes at him and takes a bite of the caviar. Her eyes widen, and she looks down at her dish, then to her date. "Oh my god." She takes another bite. "Oh my god. This is amazing."

Killian grins at her and begins to start his own. "Told you."

For each of the plates for throughout dinner, Emma gawks at them, feeling like she could float away as soon as she tastes them, as Killian laughs at her. By the time she finishes the dessert, she can feel a huge smile on her face taking form.

"That was incredible."

"I'm glad you enjoyed the food."

Emma just laughs. The check comes, she tries to snatch it, but she's still slightly in a daze from the food, and misses it as Killian grabs it. He takes out a card from his wallet and hand it to the man, and she can't help but feel somewhat bad. She saw the price on the menu, which was insanely high. "I can pay for half-"

"No need, Swan," he interrupts her, "it's our first date. I'll pay."

"What a gentleman."

"I'm always a gentleman." He wiggles is eyebrows at her and she rolls her eyes at him, though she can feel a smile toying at her lips. What a dork.

As soon as he gets his card back, Killian gets up to pull back Emma's chair, offering his hand to her as she gets up (she takes it). They walk out of the restaurant together, side by side and in silence. He doesn't wrap his arm around her or try to get her to hold his hand; he just keeps one hand in his pocket while the other holds his jacket.

When they reach her car, Emma stops and leans against it, bringing her eyes to the man standing in front of her. "Thank you. For everything. Tonight was really nice."

"Of course. I'm glad you had a wonderful time." Killian takes her hand in his and gently rubs his thumb the along the top of her hand. "Can we do this again?" he asks, his eyes focused on their hands. Killian lifts his gaze to meet hers, his eyes hopeful, but there's a little bit of fear in them that she knows well (she has it too).

Emma chews on her bottom lip as she watches him. She gives his hand a light squeeze before pulling it back. "I'll text you," she says with a small smile, before taking out her keys and getting in the car. She starts it, grins as she watches him wave, and drives home.

.

Emma opens the door and closes it quietly, leaning against it, her fingers lightly tapping the enormous smile she has on her face. She lets out a content sigh and throws her keys on the table before kicking off her heels.

"That's a big smile."

Emma jumps what feels like three feet in the air, spinning around to find Ruby and Mary Margaret sitting in her living room with smug grins plastered on their faces.

"Seriously?" She places her hands on her hips and takes a couple deep breaths to let her heart rate slow down from the unexpected surprise. "What the hell are you two still doing here?"

"Well," Ruby starts with a smirk, "I recall saying that once you had dinner with Killian, I wanted to hear every single thing. So that's why we're here."

"We helped ourselves to your leftover mac-and-cheese," Mary Margaret cut in, nodding over to the kitchen sink, "which was really good, by the way."

"So, go on, tell us how it went. We both saw that huge grin you had on your face when you walked in."

Emma feels her cheeks turn crimson as she sits down between her friends, biting her bottom lip to prevent the smile from forming again. "It was," she begins and plays back the whole night in her head, from start to finish, "really nice."

She knows she's grinning like an idiot again. She tries to stop.

But she can't.

Ruby squeals and throws her arms around her blonde friend. "I am so happy for you! So now what?"

"What do you mean?"

"Are you going to keep in touch?" Mary Margaret asks eagerly. "It's been ages since you've looked this happy."

"I told him I'd text him."

Both of Emma's friends shriek and envelop her in a hug and they all break out into laughter. She knows her friends mean well, but sometimes they get more excited about her social life than she does. It's pretty hilarious.

After another ten or fifteen minutes of grilling, Ruby and Mary Margaret go home, leaving Emma alone to recover from her first date. She changes out of her red dress, slips into her Pizza My Heart t-shirt and flops onto her bed with her phone in her hand. She stares at it for a bit, debating whether she should text Killian yet or not. She groans and falls back onto the mattress. What's the worse that can happen?

She sits up again, takes a deep breath, and texts him.

_Thanks again for tonight. If I could eat there everyday, I would._

Her phone buzzes a minute later.

**You're welcome. If I could see you in that dress everyday, I would too.**

Emma smirks and rolls her eyes. Idiot.

_Goodnight, Jones._

**Goodnight, Swan.**

She sets her phone on her nightstand and snuggles into the blankets of her bed, falling asleep with a smile on her face.

* * *

**Hi again! I'm sorry it's been awhile, but school started and I have to deal with a lot of senior stuff. Anyway, I will keep writing and try to update as soon as I can. I'm sorry it's so short, but I hope you guys like this chapter! Reviews are always amazing!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

"Okay, I just have to say that you two would make a really hot couple."

Emma slightly lowers her menu and lifts an eyebrow at Ruby. Her friend insisted on taking her out of ever since the papers started piling up, and even though Emma tried her best to convince Ruby to let her stay at home to finish grading her students' projects (she has a tendency to procrastinate. Oops.), unsurprisingly, the brunette didn't give in. Clearly, her friend thought not leaving the apartment for two weeks was detrimental to her social life. So now, they're sitting in a booth at Granny's Diner, one of their favorite places to go. Emma rolls her eyes and goes back to reading the menu.

"Come on, Ems," she hears her friend say, "why won't you tell me anything?"

"Because it's my social life and you need to learn how to not be so nosy."

"I'm not the only one who's interested, you know. Mary Margaret is also very interested on what your status is with the very attractive, and not to mention talented, Irishman that has walked into your life."

"Ruby, you and Mary Margaret are my best friends and you know I would tell you guys anything-"

"Then why aren't you?" Ruby questions in an irritated tone, loud enough for some people in the diner glance over at them.

Emma's cheeks flush as she takes a sip of her hot chocolate. "I'm just keeping things on the down low. At least for now."

"But why?"

"You know why."

Her friend growls. "What the hell is Walsh going to do? You're one of most popular, not to mention the best, teachers at your school. If he fires you, he'll have to deal with the wrath of those private school parents."

The blonde snorts in her cup as she brings her eyes back to the menu. "True, but I don't want to risk it. You know what he's done before."

Ruby sighs and nods. "Yea, I know. Which I still don't understand. Like, Walsh didn't have to fire Graham in front of the class. He could've done something less humiliating. But no. He's so fucking selfish, I just want to punch-"

Emma stops her friend with the raise of her hand. "Let's not talk about him. Or anything about the past, okay? Let's just order and you need to tell me about your boutique."

Ruby gives her a sympathetic smile and flags down one of the waitresses so they can order lunch, and the whole time Emma nervously contemplates what her ex might do if he found out about Killian. _I mean, we aren't really official_, she thinks. He's only taken her on one date. Well, two if you count the coffee stop when he walked her home from work. But still. They haven't really gotten far. She has to admit, Killian has been incredibly patient with her. They do text, almost every night, but he doesn't push her. Besides the occasional innuendoes, he has just been waiting. Even though he can be dorky and irritating at times, Emma does feel something towards him, but after Walsh, she has had her walls up high to prevent her heart from being broken again. But there's Killian. The man who is brave enough to start breaking down her walls, slowly but surely, and patient enough to wait for her to be ready. And in her heart, that counts for something.

.

Emma is finishing up her letter of recommendation for one of her students when she feels a presence in front of her. She ignores it, partly because she _really_ needs to finish the letter, but mainly because she doesn't want to be grilled about her love life. Again.

"A little bird told me you have a little something happening on the side now."

She groans and looks up at her friend. "Regina, not now. I need to get this letter of rec for Henry done." Regina silently stands in front of Emma's desk, hovering over her like a hawk, making her feel uncomfortable. She looks up again and narrows her eyes at the fellow teacher. "What?"

"So... Killian. That's his name, right?"

"Okay, first, who told you? And second, you know I can't tell you here."

"Emma, relax. He left two hours ago. The only people at school now are Archie, August, and us. We can talk." Emma met Regina when she started teaching at the very prestigious middle school. They were both new, so they became friends soon after. Regina was the first person to comfort Emma when Walsh dumped her (since he dumped her during her lunch break) and even slapped him the next day. He fired her, of course, but with the help of several angry students and parents, the science teacher got her job back. Regina pulls up a chair in front of the desk. "Speak. I want to know."

"Who told you?"

"That's not important. What's important is you and Killian. So talk."

"It's really not important."

"Yes it is. For two reasons. Because your life is finally interesting again and because you need to be ready for anything in case Walsh finds out. We don't want another incident like Graham-"

Emma grumbles. "I don't want to think about what happened in the past."

"I don't care if you don't want to. You need to," Regina snaps. "If Walsh finds out about you and Killian, he might fire you. He might go after Killian."

"I know. It's just I don't know what to do." The blonde runs her fingers through her hair and smacks her head down on her desk. "I just want to have a normal life outside of work. But clearly I can't."

"Yea, I know. Walsh is a selfish asshole, but we can't change that. All you can really do for now is keep your relationship, whatever it is, quiet and hope for the best. I'm happy for you, I really am, I just don't want you to get fired just because Walsh is jealous of Killian."

"Yea."

Regina gets up and starts heading for the door. "I'll let you get back to work. See you tomorrow."

"See ya." Emma goes back to proofreading the letter, but then snaps her head back up. "Wait! Who told you?"

Regina just grins. "A friend," she says in an uncharacteristically cheerful tone and disappears from the doorway.

.

Emma places her mug of hot chocolate on the coffee table and plops down onto her couch with a stack of papers in her lap. She rubs her eyes and groans. As much as she loves teaching English, she hates grading papers. But it needs to be done, and there's no better time than the present to start. Uncapping a red pen, she begins to read the first report, only to be interrupted by the buzzing of her phone. She looks over at it.

**Do you like pizza?**

Emma rolls her eyes and texts back. _Of course. Who doesn't?_

**Very true.**

She puts her phone back down on the coffee table and goes back to grading the paper. She's starting to grade the second paper when the doorbell rings. Emma looks up confusedly and checks the time: 8:15. She can't figure out who's dropping by now, but she expects it's Ruby since her friend did text her multiple times about how the needed to talk ASAP. It's probably something about Victor, her new boyfriend. It has been a month since they have met and they have been spending a lot of time together. He's the first guy Ruby has been with for that long since high school boyfriend, Peter.

Emma shuffles over to the door and opens it, her jaw dropping at her unexpected visitor. "What are you doing here?"

"Bringing you pizza." Killian smirks at her, lifting the Goat Hill Pizza box and showing off a delicious-looking pepperoni pizza. "I thought that was obvious," he says as he walks into her apartment.

Emma stands in front of her door, still trying to process what's going on. "By all means, come in." She realizes what she really needs to get done and walks over to where he has settled. "Killian, it was really nice of you to bring pizza, but I really need to get my work done tonight-"

"Grading papers, I see."

"Yea, and I've put them off long enough. I don't really need any distractions."

"I won't be a distraction," he looks at her feigning offense, "in fact, I can help you grade them."

"You? No."

"Why not?"

"You said you haven't read the book in ages. How are you going to remember the story?"

"I'm sure once I read one of those papers it'll remind me of everything."

Emma shakes her head and narrows her eyes at him, trying to ignore that small smile that's toying at her lips. "I'm not going to be able to get rid of you tonight, am I?"

"Aye," Killian replies with a smug grin, patting the spot next to him, "now sit down and eat some of this. I can't eat it all myself."

"It does look good." She sits down beside, takes a slice of pizza, grabs her stack of papers, and hands one to Killian. "Here."

He takes it and starts reading and there's a comfortable silence between them until her interrupts it no less than three minutes later.

"Love, remind me who Atticus Finch is."

"Oh my god," Emma says in her best Chandler Banks voice and gets up to find a copy of the book.

He laughs. "That was awful."

"Shut up." She runs her finger along the line of books on a shelf near the TV, searching for _To Kill A Mocking Bird_. She can feel his eyes watching her ever move and she tries her best to keep her cheeks from turning pink. Emma pulls the book of the shelf, walks back over to the couch, and shoves it in Killian's chest. "Read it. Then you can help grade."

"All of it?"

"Yes!"

"Fine," she hears him grumble and he opens the book and starts to read. They both work and read in silence, besides the occasional sound of munching on pizza. The silence is comfortable, and she's surprisingly getting a lot done in his presence.

Emma grabs her mug of hot chocolate from the coffee table and as she takes a sip, a finger comes forward and swipes some whipped cream from the top. She looks over to Killian, who has his finger in his mouth and is wiggling his eyebrows at her. When she takes another sip, he does it again and she glares at him.

"Do you want some?"

"I'm alright, lass. I just like whipped cream," Killian says and winks at her, and she rolls her eyes. He leans in a little and waits there until their eyes meet. "You got some on your nose."

Emma blushes and quickly wipes it off, averting her gaze back to the paper she's reading, not wanting to see the look on his face. They both go back to doing what they were doing, the comfortable silence settling back in.

But it doesn't last long.

"So," he says, setting the book down in his lap, "maid of honor, hm? How do you know Mary Margaret?"

She just looks at him over essay, raises and eyebrow, and goes back to work. She can feel him staring at her, waiting for her to say something, but she keeps quiet and continues to read and grade the paper.

"You know, most men would find your silence off-putting, but I love a challenge."

She keeps grading, trying to tune him, and finally, after a few minutes, he sighs, picks up the book, and continues reading. She feels kind of guilty for ignoring him, but she really doesn't want to talk about her past with him. Or with anyone, for that matter. She mainly keeps those memories in the back of her head, but sometimes they resurface, and then the nightmares start again. So Emma opening up about her past is not a fun thing.

Another hour passes, and Emma has gone through four essays in the past two hours. (Which is pretty productive compared to her normal rate of one per every two to three hours. Depending on how distracted or tired she is.) A yawn escaped her lips and she rubs her eyes before face planting into the stack to papers in her lap and letting out a groan. She desperately wants to sleep, but she has so much more to do. _That's what I get for procrastinating_, she thinks as she lifts her head and reached for her hot chocolate. Emma looks at Killian from under her lashes, seeing that he looks almost as exhausted as she is, his eyes closed, his head resting on the back of the couch, and his chest slowly rising and falling. She wants to tell him that he can go home, but she feels too tired to speak, her eyes falling closed as soon as she takes them off the papers. Maybe a short nap wouldn't hurt. She puts the essays on the coffee table and snuggles into the side of the couch, making sure she doesn't accidentally kick the dark haired man in the process. As Emma's eyes flutter closed, she thinks she hears Killian whisper good night, but before she can make any sense of it, sleeps overcomes her.

.

The next morning, Emma lets out a content sigh into her pillow and she slowly opens her eyes and adjusts to the light streaming in her living room. She smiles, then stiffens, realizing that she's not in her bed. She sits up, trying to figure out how she ended up on her couch instead of her bed. Emma slides back under the blanket while she thinks, trying to remember what happened after her nap. Then it hits her: she never woke up afterwards. She sits up again, looking around her quiet living room. Emma spots a small piece of paper on the coffee table, and she reaches over to grab it, trying not to let any warmth from the blanket escape. As she reads it, a small grin forms on her face.

**Get a good night's rest, love.**

**- K**

**P.S. I borrowed your book.**

She comes to the conclusion that she fell asleep and Killian covered her with the blanket before her left. She feels her heart beat a bit faster and Emma can't help but smile because what he did was incredibly sweet. Yet, deep down, there's a small part of her that wishes he had stayed the night.

* * *

**Hi everyone! So a few people have messaged me asking if there will be any angst in this story. And, to be honest, I don't know. Angsty fics are definitely not my strong suit, so I don't write angst often. My forte is writing a lot of fluffy, happy stuff mainly because those are the type of fics I usually read. Also, if anyone was wondering, Goat Hill Pizza is another actual restaurant with fan-fucking-tastic pizza. Anyway, I hope you all like this chapter and hopefully I post again soon! Your follows, favorites, and reviews always make me smile!**

**P.S. there was a ton of Ed Sheeran music involved while writing this chapter.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Emma and Mary Margaret walk side by side through downtown, both with a Starbucks cup in their hands. Emma had just told her friend about what happened and the fact that her friend hasn't said a word is killing her. They keep walking in silence, which only makes the blonde feel more and more nervous.

"So," Mary Margaret finally says, "why didn't you tell him?"

"About us? About how we met?"

"Yea."

"Because that's the past. The part of my past that wasn't so... Pleasant. I'm grateful for what you and your family did for me, but thinking about it reminds me of what I had to go through. And you know what happens."

The brunette takes a sip of her coffee and sighs. "Emma," she said softly, "you know, it's not a bad thing to let some people in. I know you're just protecting yourself, but you shutting them out in the process. I know you just met him, but give Killian a chance. David has told me about him and he seems like a great guy. So let him in."

Emma doesn't respond; she just looks down at her coffee and chews on her bottom lip. "What if it's too late?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, we've been texting. A lot. Like pretty much everyday. But ever since that night, he hasn't replied to me. I've texted him a few times, but still nothing."

"How long has it been?"

"Three days."

"Maybe he's busy."

"Maybe..."

Mary Margaret hooks her arm around Emma's and pulls her close. "Don't worry, Ems. Just give him time." She gives the blonde a grin, getting a weak smile in return, and the two women continue to walk along the streets of downtown.

.

It's been four hours since Emma got home from her coffee break with Mary Margaret and she's only graded one paper. She can't concentrate, not after what Mary Margaret said. She stares blankly at the paper in front of her and grumbles. There's no way in hell she can think about Atticus and Scout's relationship in the book when her mind is so jumbled up. She sets the pile of essays on the kitchen counter and slides out if her seat to pour herself a glass of wine. She takes a sip, walking over to the speakers in her living room to play her favorite Ed Sheeran songs on repeat, and falls onto the couch. (She's done it so many times in the last few years that she's perfected the art of not spilling her beverage of choice while falling.) Emma closes her eyes, the words of Mary Margaret still on her mind as she begins to relax a little.

Her moment of relaxation is interrupted when the doorbell pierces through Ed Sheeran's voice and a growl escapes her. She pulls herself off the couch and trudges over to the door, opening it to find a surprise, yet again.

"Are the papers really that bad?" Killian says with a chuckle, glancing over at her glass before meeting her gaze again.

Emma feels herself gawking at him and quickly snaps out of it, shaking her head and trying to figure out what to say. "No. It's just one of those times."

"Something on your mind, love?"

"Nope." He raises an eyebrow at her and she rolls her eyes and grumbles. "Why didn't you reply to me?"

"What?"

"I texted you, like four times. You didn't reply. I was-"

"I was reading your book. I wanted to finish before responding to you."

"Wait, you finished?"

"Aye. Twice."

"You read the book twice?"

"Aye, the first time for the story and the second time to get the themes. Does that surprise you?"

"Yea," she admits, running her fingers through her hair, "I don't know many people who actually do that."

"Well, lass, now you know that I am one of those people. And I can help you with all those bloody papers," he says with a smug grin as he walking in, sitting down on her couch and patting the spot next to him. "Come. Walk me through grading eighth grade essays."

Emma rolls her eyes, grabs the stack, and sits down next to him. Together, they read several papers, not to mention their many random conversations here and there and the playful banter. (Oh, and the rum. The alcohol is definitely needed for some of the papers that are just awful.) As the night progresses, Emma teaches Killian the tricks of the trade to grading eighth grade English essays: making sure they get the main points, put enough detail, and have correct grammar, spelling, and punctuation, but not grading too harsh since they are only thirteen and fourteen year olds. He actually enjoys reading and grading her students' essays, not seeing it as a cumbersome task that takes up so much time. But she has to admit, he makes it much more enjoyable and time flies by when they're together. They read parts of the papers to each other, whether it's nicely written or sounds like a wordy wreck. They help each other, from asking for advice to debating on what grade to give. By the time the last paper is finished, it's only ten at night.

"Tell me, love," Killian says, throwing the pen on the coffee table, "what do you do for fun? You can't possibly be working all the time."

"My life is pretty boring," Emma replies, tracing the rim of her empty glass with her finger. She looks back at him and forces a smile. "You really don't want to know about my life."

"Perhaps I would like to."

She snaps her head up, her eyes meeting his. He looks so sincere; he looks as if he actually cares. Like he wants to open up to her, help her, be there for her. Her breath hitches in her throat and she tears her gaze away from his, grabbing the bottle of rum from the coffee table and taking a swig from the bottle. "Are you sure?" she whispers, suddenly insecure, "it's kind of a long story."

He takes the bottle from her hands and takes a drink. "I meant what I said before," he gives offers her a small grin, "I love a challenge."

Emma smiles and glances down at the pile of grades essays. She puts them on the coffee table and looks at him again. "Alright. But, every time I tell you something about me, you have to tell me something about you."

"Deal." Killian holds out his hand and she shakes it. "You can start wherever you'd like."

She takes the bottle, takes a sip, and sets it down, trying to figure out what to say. "Well, you asked what I do outside of work. Let's see, I read. A lot, actually. And sometimes I have my friends over for a movie."

"Is that all?"

"Yep. That's it, really. I told you my life is pretty boring."

"What? A beautiful girl like you doesn't go out once in awhile?"

She laughs. "No. That's my friend, Ruby. I'm sure you saw her at the wedding. She's the party girl out of all of my friends. She's changed though, ever since she started dating Victor."

"People can change, lass."

Emma head races with memories when Walsh hurt her, and she grabs the rum bottle and takes a sip. "Not everyone." When she looks back at him, she can tell that he feels pity for her. Before he can say anything she changed the subject. "So, tell me about your band."

Killian laughs and rubs the scruff on his chin. "They're an interesting group to be around. I've known Robin since college and Tink since high school. We all loved music and we all decided to become a band one night. We were pretty drunk, but somehow Tink remembered our decision and put things together. She sings, Rob plays the drums, and I, as you know, play the guitar. We've been playing together for awhile now."

"Oh cool. Does Tink write the songs or something?"

"No. That's what I do. Rob sometimes joins me."

"Oh."

There's a pregnant silence between them; Emma keeps her eyes glued to her hands as she twiddles her fingers while Killian just stares at her. She desperately wants the quietness to disappear, but she has no idea what to change the topic to.

He clears his throat, bringing her attention back to him, and he scratches behind his ear before breaking the silence. "I don't mean to pry," he starts quietly, "but have you ever been in love?"

She stiffens at that question, and her head filling with unpleasant memories of Walsh again. She squeezes her eyes closed to try to shut out the pain. She looks back at him, waiting a long time before she answers. "I was. Once."

"May I ask what happened?"

Emma shifts in her seat, adverting her gaze back down to her hands. "You really don't want to know. Plus, I'm not sure I'm ready to talk about it."

"Sometimes talking about it can help heal the heart," Killian tells her, "however, if you don't want to talk about it, that's completely understandable."

She knows he's right. That's what everyone has been telling her, Mary Margaret, Ruby, David, hell, even Regina. She knows holding it in isn't going to help her. _But am I ready?_ Emma's eyes meet his, there's sadness mixed with understanding and sincerity in them, and it breaks her. "His name was Chris. Christopher Walsh. We dated for two years and I fell in love with him. Clearly he didn't feel the same way, because he left me a year and a half ago for some younger woman." She grabs the rum and talks two very large gulps, feeling the alcohol burn her throat.

"I know that feeling all too well."

"Who was she?"

That's when he avoids her gaze, putting all his focus on his fingers playing with the necklace hanging at his chest. Minutes pass, the silence filling the room again, but then he looks up at her and sighs. "Milah, my first love. We had so many plans together. But then she found someone else. An older, richer man. She told me it would've never worked out. That she couldn't love a musician." Killian shakes his head and beckons for the bottle. She hands it over as she watched him down the caramel colored liquid.

"Why not?"

"Because I didn't make enough for her standards."

The two of them sit together as time flies by, passing the rum back and forth between them while arguing about which Firefly episode is the best and competing who can quote more lines from Buffy the Vampire Slayer. (The topics came up during a very intoxicated discussion about how great Joss Whedon is.) By the time it's midnight, the conversations die down between the two and silence overcomes them again.

"Well," Killian says, slapping his hands on his knees before getting up, only to lose his balance and fall back down on the couch, "I should go."

"You can barely walk," Emma laughs, "how the hell are you going to drive?"

"I am a very talented driver."

"You're going to get pulled over."

"You doubt my skills."

"I doubt your skills because you're drunk."

"Am not."

"Are too. You drank most of the rum." She gestures to the empty bottle on the floor by his feet.

"Really, love," he gets up again, managing to remain on his feet, "I'm fine. I'll get off your back for the rest-"

"Stay," Emma suddenly blurts out, grabbing his wrist. Killian stares at her, his blue eyes studying her before they quickly flick down to her lips and then meet her gaze again. "Please," she says, "can you?" _God, why am I so awkward?_ "Stay with me?"

He looks slightly shocked at her request, but nevertheless, he smiles. "As you wish."

She stands up, picking up the rum bottle before moving out of the way to let him lie down. He ungracefully plops down onto the couch, landing face first and mumbling a curse. Emma smirks, grabs a blanket, and throws it over him. He pulls it up to his chin and gives her a nod in gratification. She leaves his side to turn off the lights, looking forward to sleeping in her bed.

"Goodnight, love," he calls out from the couch, making her smile.

"Goodnight," she replies, jumping back into bed and slipping under the covers. She closes her eyes and before she knows it, she falls asleep.

.

Emma wakes up with a massive headache and tries to keep her eyes shut for as long as possible to prevent the bright sun from blinding her. She slowly opens them and reaches for her phone, groaning when she sees the time. It's almost one in the afternoon and she feels like shit. _Wonderful. Thank god it's Sunday._

Emma drags herself out of bed and slowly shuffles out of her room. The closer she gets to the kitchen, the stronger the smell of happiness becomes. She finally makes it there, and she can't help but smirk. There Killian is, standing over the stove and making a large batch of scrambled eggs. She spots a pot coffee and a plate of freshly cooked bacon next to him, and she feels herself begin to drool. Her eyes wander back over to him, his T-shirt tightly clinging to his broad shoulders and his biceps, _good god his biceps_, looking rather snug in the sleeves. She begins to look further down when the throbbing pains in her head pulls her out of her daydream.

Killian turns around and grins at her. "Morning, love."

"Morning." Emma slumps down in a chair at the kitchen island, massages her head, and lets out a groan. She hears his low chuckle and snaps her head up, cringing at the pain from her headache, and glares at him.

"You got a nasty hangover too?"

"How are you perfectly fine? You drank more than me!"

"With a couple cups of this," he replies, taking out a mug and pouring her some coffee. He hands it to her and she takes it, their fingers brushing, sending sparks up her spine like when they first met. She takes a sip and hums contently in the mug, continuing to slowly drink the hot, caffeinated beverage. Killian dishes the scrambled eggs onto a platter, takes out two plates from one of her cupboards, and serves her. "Here you are, lass," Killian hold out the plate of scrambled eggs and bacon to her with a proud grin, "breakfast is served."

Emma raises an eyebrow at him before taking the plate. "How very domestic of you." She grabs a fork and takes a bite, suppressing any sound of how much her wants to smash her face into the pile of eggy deliciousness.

"You say that as if it's a bad thing."

"It's not! Girls love guys that can cook."

"Aye. I've noticed," Killian responds, wiggling his eyebrows at her, making her roll her eyes and blush a little.

They eat in silence, sneaking quick glances at each other before focusing back to their food. Emma has the urge to break the silence, the memories of the previous night slowly coming back to her. They have many similarities, since they both opened up about their past to each other, and there's no use in denying it now. As much as she wants to ignore it, she can't. Emma has feelings for Killian. But she's scared. And sometimes, fear can overcome love.

Once they finish, Killian helps Emma put all the dirty plates and dishes in the sink and the two wash them together, still saying nothing. By the time all the dishes are clean and put away, she can't take it any longer.

"I'm sorry," she says quietly. She meets his gaze, the look on his face confused for a bit, but it doesn't take him long to figure out what she's taking about.

"It's not your fault, love," he curtly replies, wiping his hands dry with the dishtowel and avoiding her stare, "if anything, it's my fault. She left me for someone else. I'm the one who's not good enough."

"Don't say that-"

"But it's true!"

"No, it's not!" That catches his attention. His head snaps up, and for what seems to be ages, they just stare at each other, not breaking the contact. Killian slowly takes a step towards her, minimizing the space between them; their faces are inches apart. Emma's gaze flicks from his eyes to lips, quickly bringing them back up to his eyes, hoping he didn't notice. _Shit shit shit. No. Stop it._ She watches as he does the same thing, and she has to blink two or three times to bring herself out if her daze. Before she could say a word, he pulls back.

"I should leave," he says so softy, it's barely audible, "Robin and I need to keep writing." Killian walks out of the kitchen to grab his jacket and heads for the door. Emma follows him, not taking her eyes off of him and keeping her distance. He opens it and looks over his shoulder, giving her a weak smile. "See you around, Swan." And just like that, he leaves.

"See you," she manages to choke out to her empty apartment.

* * *

**Hello lovely people! I'm sorry it's been awhile. I've been so busy with studying for school and getting my college applications ready. Augh. However, I will promise to keep writing and I will try my best to update as soon as I can. I'm sure once I turn in my applications, I'll have more time for everything. Also, I'm sorry if there are any typos; I had a massive test this morning and I've been extremely tired. Anyway, thank you all so much for all the follows, favorites, and reviews. It makes me so happy when I get the email notifications. I hope everyone is surviving the return of OUAT (I barely am – THE FEELS AND IT'S ONLY THE BEGINNING) and I hope you all like this chapter. Until next time!**

**p.s. I was literally listening to "Stay With Me" by Sam Smith over and over and over again while I was writing this.**


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